Description
When purchased in 1998 this former rally car was a basic 1968 V4 with a bare interior. It had a roll cage, two bucket seats, harnesses and a sump guard, all of which we removed, our aim being to convert it back to a family car but with a sporty edge. We were not intending to create a concours classic but an interesting, solid and reliable car. This was a long term project, after which the car was used regularly for a while, covering just 6800 miles, before being stored for exhibition in classic car events.
BODY. We started by completely stripping the vehicle, then the shell, together with new front and rear wings, was transported to a garage specialising in coachwork for gas welding repairs, using galvanised steel to extend the longevity of the car. Nuts, bolts, washers and screws were replaced with stainless steel ones wherever possible. It was then rustproofed and has recently been professionally resprayed Toreador red and rechromed.
ENGINE. The standard German built Ford engine was taken to Julian Godfrey Race Engineering to have the block bored out, the crankshaft re-ground and the heads ported and gas flowed, following guidance from the Saab Sport and Rally Manual. A 1700 crank was fitted to take the capacity to the recommended 1815cc, steel timing gears were used and we sourced a rare twin port manifold from Germany. The carburettor fitted is a twin choke Weber 38DGAS (down draught) which was tuned at CCK Historic.,
The distributor has an electronic points conversion and has been very reliable.
COOLING SYSTEM. A Saab 99 radiator was fitted, as recommended to complement the enlarged engine, together with a new Kenlowe electric fan.
TRANSMISSION. We feel that this is the best it can be, with its cast iron gearbox prepared for rallying by Chris Partington, now with a custom made final drive from Sweden (£700) for road use and a sweet new diaphragm clutch. A restoration technician from the firm Two Stroke to Turbo road tested the car and complimented us on the smoothness of the gear change, one of the best he had come across, and reported that the chassis is true and the car ’drove well’.
WHEELS and TYRES. The rare Ronal alloy wheels are fitted with Bridgestone 175/ 65R15 tyres.
BRAKES. The car was fitted with new discs, pads, shoes and other brake components some 6800 miles ago.
SUSPENSION. AVO gas adjustable shock absorbers.
EXHAUST SYSTEM. Stainless steel Jetex.
ELECTRICS. Over the years we have replaced the battery (Tungstone 12v titanium) and fitted a new starter motor, coil, alternator and Wipac halogen headlights.
THE ENTIRE INTERIOR. Seats, belts, carpets, headlining, cards, bins etc. were bought from Jam Saab in Bristol. This was a lucky visit because the owner had stored the best complete interior he could find in order to do a restoration project of his own, but time was not on his side and he was prepared to sell us all the component parts. The restoration technician reported that 'the fabric is in excellent condition’. We sourced a period Saab Sport and Rally steering wheel.
Most of the parts removed from the car were replaced with new or the best we could locate, often from Sweden, using the Saab Sport and Rally Manual as a guide. The owner of Two Stroke emailed to say that 'It looks great and I can see that it’s got all the best parts from the Sport and Rally booklet. The engine and gearbox is a great specification.’ Before it was stored we elected to have an annual MOT done on the V4 and it passed with no problems each year.
One of the most idiosyncratic cars of its era with some unique engineering, the Saab V4 offers a distinctive driving experience thanks to its column mounted gear change and free wheel device. This is a car that always draws attention when you're out and about! It's a classic car with a unique appearance that is a lot of fun to drive. I've always loved the shape, which i think looks great, especially with these rare Ronal Minilite alloys to set it off. The modifications we've done have also made it more practical for modern day driving.
